Rahman Syed is a Pakistan-based entrepreneur, actor, professor, and entomologist who is recognized mostly for his discovery and research on the biological method of oil-palm pollination. His discovery led him to earn an honorary title of ‘Datuk’ by the Sabah’s Malaysian State.
He died after fighting colon cancer for a long time. This article has every detail about him, including Rahman Syed Biography.
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Name: | Rahman Syed |
| Famous As: | Pakistani Entomologist |
| Nationality: | Pakistani |
| Residence: | Islamabad, Pakistan |
| village: | Alawalpur |
| Education: | Phd |
| Institutions: | Gordon College, Rawalpindi Communion Institute of Biological Control (KBI) |
| Religion: | Islam |
| Profession: | Entomologist |
| discovery: | biological method of oil palm pollination |
| Awards : | Datuk |
| Born | |
| Date: | 14th December 1932 |
| Place: | Alawalpur, Punjab, British India |
| Family | |
| Ethnicity: | Sayed |
| Children: | four sons |
| Parents: | Major Dr. Abdul Majeed |
| Died | |
| Date: | 20th June 2009 |
| Rest Place: | Islamabad, Pakistan |
Table of Contents
Rahman Syed Biography
Some people are born great, and Syed is one of them. He was an intelligent and creative person. The sudden death of his mother and his father’s busy schedule made him mature and independent before time. He attended a local school for his early education but after partition attended prestigious educational institutes including Punjab University Lahore, F.C. College Lahore, and D.J. Science College.
Being a multi-talented, energetic personality, he tried his fate in different fields, including academic, acting, and business, but got massive success in the educational field. Malaysian Govt awarded him an honorary title of ‘Datuk’ for his splendid and productive research on oil-palm pollinators.
His discovery not only benefited the Malaysian economy but other countries also adopted the pollination method discovered by him.
Rahman Date of Birth
He opened his eyes in Alwalpur, British India, on 14th Dec 1932.
Education of Rahman
He completed his early education from a school in a village where students used to sit on dirt mats in burning heat. After partition, his family moved to Karachi, Pakistan. After settling in Karachi, he enrolled in D.J. Science College and joined University Officers-Training Course, and achieved academic success.
Later, he enrolled at renowned F.C. College in Lahore and developed a strong interest in zoology and physical science. He was equally active in sports, captained the football team of F.C. College, and played racquet sports. He was also the cricket’s passionate fan. He secured his Ph.D. degree from Lahore’s Punjab University.
Rahman Syed Family
He belonged to the Muslim-family of Alawalpur village and was the eldest among seven children. Rahman’s father, Dr. Majeed, was a well-known malariologist and doctor in the British-Indian Army.
The hectic routine of his father made Rahman independent and mature at a young age. Moreover, his mother’s sudden death added to his childhood’s hardships.
Career
Acting Career
Later in his youth, he also tried his fate in the acting field and performed a lead role in the PTV drama ‘Laggan Apne Apne.’
Academic Career
In 1962 he started his 1st teachership as a zoology teacher at Rawalpindi Gordon College and served at this post for almost 6-years. He joined ‘Commonwealth Institute of the Biological-Control’ in 1968 and engaged in research on entomology.
His starting work in this institution included a biocontrol of the fruit-flies, a venture particularly crucial to Pakistan’s agricultural sector. E
Research on Oil-Palm Pollination
Commonwealth Institute of Biological-Control posted him after his Ph.D. to Sabah state, Malaysia, where he got fame for his research that focused on the use of the virus instead of insecticides to control the palm-leaf eating caterpillars.
Recruited by Unilever Chairperson
Then-Chairperson of Unilever’s oil palm plantations in Malaysia’ recruited Rahman to research the pollination of oil-palm by insects instead of conventional pollination methods by hand or by the wind. His laboratory and field research in the Republic of Cameroon gave an excellent discovery of oil palm’s efficient and best pollinator, the Weevil species ‘Elaeidobious kamerunicus.’
He published his conclusions in ‘Bulletin of the Entomological Research.’ In 1981 import of a newly-recognized E. kamerunicus, an African Oil-Palm Weevil, was approved. It was a massive success that improved palm oil production, terminating time-taking and expensive method of hand pollination, and accelerating expansion of plantation with no or negligible biological effect.
Honours
His meritorious services to Malaysia’s social well-being and economic condition earned him an honorary title of ‘Datuk’ by the Malaysian State of the Sabah. According to calculations, E. kamerunicus has enhanced oil-palm production by almost U.S. Dollars Three-Hundred and Seventy Million.
Since then, Weevil has been used as a primary pollinator of oil-palms around the globe. The economic impact of this Weevil had continued to increase exponentially with time.
Later Life
He actively continued his research in business and entomology consulting until his death. He founded, owned, and served as chairperson of a Pakistani Snack-Food brand ‘Nourbiz Private Limited’ responsible for a famous brand ‘Korneez.’
Rahman Syed Death
After fighting colon cancer for a long time, he passed away in Islamabad at his house. Four sons and a wife survive him.